Fire guard for motion picture machines



April 23, 1935. e. B. REAY FIRE GUARD MOTION PICTURE MACHINES Origiixal Filed Oct. 30, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l J I I I l ll I GEORGE BREAY April 23, 1935. a. B. REAY FIRE GUARD FOR MOTION PICTURE MACHINES 2 SheetsSheet 2 Original Filed 001;. 30, 1933 III/070 112 7 GEORGE 8. Ram

W flffarnqy Patented Apr. 23, 1935 I l I l UNIT-E ISTATE-s PATENT ()F-FICE I Application October 30, 1933, Serial No. 695,805

. Renewed February 18, 1935 r I 6 Claims. (01. 88-17) v H I i This invention relates to improvements in fire Figure 2 is a top plan view of the upper fire guards .for motion picturemachines. 1 I guard: with a portion of the cover plate broken One object of the invention is toprovideafire away. V I uard having aspring actuated blade for sever- *Figure 31s a vertical sectional view taken on ing the film and closing the slot, to confine line 33 of Figure 2. I the fire within the projection chamber of the Figure 4 is abottomiplan view of the upper fire machine the blade being held normally in reguard. tracted position by a segmental pinion having an Figure 5 is a broken'lo d Section Showv un-toothed portion which serves as a stop .to limit ing the film cutting blade in sprung position. the movement of the blade inboth directions of 1 Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken 10 travel, that is; when. retracted manually: to 'set 1 1c 6+6 of ure I positionand especially when actuated to. sprung gur 7 'a' p Plain V Of the lower fin? position by the spring. Asthe blade is relatively guard. f i

thin and the pinion, Which islocated withina In the drawings H1 indicates e a y the 1;, longitudinalslot in the-blade, is'of like thickness, p jectin ham r o a nv i nal m i n is it is desirable that the correspondingly thin picture machine which is'provided wi h e rpoints of the teeth will not-be subjected to the per film reel H and a. lower film reel not shown. stresses imposed by the blade at its limitsof -The upper reel is customarily secured to the i travel since the deforming of the teeth might nnb r' nd' f th casing of th pr j tin hamcause the teeth of the pinion to bind with the her why means of a Well II, but in employing 20 rack formed in one side of the slot and delay, if my upper'fire guard which is indicated generally not prevent, the operation of the blade in case by the numeral l3, the fire guard is located beof fire. I tween the well I2 and the upper end of the eas- Another object of the invention is to provide a ing iii. spindle mechanism of improved construction The well i2 is provided with a conventional 25 whichpprovides a double bearing forthe pinion slot Ila through which. the film is passed in and which facilitates theassemblygof, the spindle threading the machine, and a. similar slot I -mechanism.- is provided in the guard i3 in registration with A further object of the invention istoprovide the slot 12a. The construction of the projecting 39 a fire wall adjacent the film opening in the upper apparatus forms no part of the present improve 30 guardwhich in cooperation with a pair of film ments and hence is shown only fragmentarily in guide rolls prevents fire from a burning film withthe drawings. r in the projection chamber from flashing hori- The film, however, passes around a sprocket i4 zontally to ignite a portionof the film adjacent, in the chamber and is provided with a loop I5 the film opening and thusftraveling through the in the conventional manner to avoid imposing 35 film opening to the upper magazine before the stresses on the film as the same passes through blade hasbeen sprung toclosed position. the Geneva movement.

A further object ofthe invention relates to the The film passes through the lower fire guard provision'of said pair of film-guide rolls'adjaindicated generallyjbythe numeral 16 which'is' 0 cent the lower edge of the device and as farreplaced within the-casing l2 and is provided with 40 moved from. the film opening as feasible to 010- a film'slot lid-through which the film extends to struct the progress of the rising flames of the the lower take up magazine orfirst to the sound .burningfilrn toward the portion of! the film admechanism, if such be employed.

jacent the film opening and .thus providing an The fire guard I3 oomprisesia housing .or castadditional instant; of time in which th la e-may ing' having a top ll and provided wlth'a down- 45 act to prevent ignition of-the film in the upper wardly extending perimetrical flange l8.

magazine. g The upperrsurface of the top H is provided Other objects relate to. various features of cone with a channel or guideway IS in which is posistructionand arrangement of parts which will .tioned a sliding blade 20. A spring 2| is arbe apparent .from a. consideration of the 101- ranged to force the blade forwardly or 'to the 60 lowing sp fit acc mpanying drawings right as viewed in Figures'Z and 3;.across the film wherein: I slot I311, for the purpose of closing. theslot and q Figure l is a, fragmentary view of a motion severingthe film to prevent progress of fire from picture projecting machine-showing myimprovethe projecting chamber to' the film reel H.

ments positioned therein. w Acover platen whic'his attached to the hous- 5 ing 53 by screws 22a overlies the blade and spring as shown in Figure 3.

The blade 23 as shown clearly in Figure 2, is provided with a slot 23 along one edge of which is formed a rack or teeth 24. The ends of the slot preferably are curved as shown at 25 and 26 for the purpose hereinafter stated.

Positioned in the slot 23 is a segmental pinion the teeth of which mesh with the rack '23. The pinion is mounted on a short shaft the upper end of which projects into and is journaled in an opening in the cover plate 2% The lower end of the shaft is provided with a slotted head 29 which is journaled in a stationary tube 33 welded or swaged or otherwise secured in an opening in the top wall ll' of the housing l3.

As shown, the diameter of the tube 30 is less than the diameter of the pinion 2! and hence the latter and the headed shaft will be confined between the wall i! and the cover plate 2! and in the plane of the blade, with the teeth of the pinion always in engagement with the rack 24.

A spindle or shaft 3! having a head 32 adapted to be set in the slot of the head 23 is journaled in the tubular sleeve 33 also located in the tube 33, and held therein by a set screw 33a.

A fuse arm is secured to the upper end of the sleeve 33 by riveting over a central reduced extension 33a of the sleeve. The arm 34 has a portion bent over to engage a notch in the lower edge or" the tube 30 to prevent rotation of the arm. Secured on the outer end of the rotatable spindle 3! is a second fuse arm 35 which when turned operates the spindle 3! and likewise the shaft 28 and the pinion 21.

By providing the detachable connection between the spindle 3i and the shaft 28 as above described, the assembly of the apparatus is SlIllplified. The gear 2? is of larger diameter than the tube 32 and hence is positioned from the top as viewed in Figure 3. With the teeth of the pinion in mesh with the rack 24 of the blade, the cover plate 2! is secured in position.

The fuse-holding blade-retracting unit comprising the spindle 3i, sleeve 33, and the two arms and 35 can be assembled as a unit and inserted in the lower end of the tube 33, and secured in position by means of the set screw 30a.

In Figure lth ends of the stationary arm 34 and the movable arm 35 are shown reduced at their extremities for engaging the ends of a fuse 3B. This fuse may be of fusible metal or two portions of metal held together by a second fusible material as illustrated in the drawings, or it may be of inflammable material such as celluloid, for example.

When the arms are in the position shown in Figure i, the pinion 2'! is in the position shown in Figure 2; that is, it engages the right hand teeth of the rack and holds the blade 30 clear of the film opening l3a.

Should fire occur in the projecting chamber In and liberate the movable arm 35, the spring 2i will move the blade to the right as viewed in Figure 2, to the position shown in Figure 5, and thus close the film opening 13a and sever the film to prevent the passage of the fire through the film opening and into the upper magazine I I.

When the blade 20 moves to the right as viewed in Figure 2, under the action of the spring 2|, the pinion 2! will be rotated counter-clockwise as the rack moves to the right whereby the curved un-toothed portion of the pinion will engage the wall 25 of the slot to limit the movement of the blade. The teeth of the pinion therefore are not subjected to action which will tend to mar or deform the same, which would interfere with the free operation of the blade and possibly cause failure of the apparatus to function as intended.

In re-seting the device the movable arm 35 is swung counter-clockwise as viewed in Figure 4 from the dotted line position to the full line position, and a new fuse placed over the ends of the arms. The movement of the arm 35 as mentioned retracts the blade against the action of the spring to the position shown in Figure 2. In this position it will be noted that the un-toothed portion of the pinion 21 will abut the curved wall 26 of the slot 23 and thus limit the movement of the blade to the left.

By the arrangement described, the pinion acts as a stop for the blade in its movements in both directions and thus other stop means for the blade is not required. As noted, the blade 20 may be relatively short and when in set position will lie entirely on the left hand side of the slot l3a, as viewed in Figure 2.

To facilitate access to the arms 33 and 35 for re-fusing one flange of the housing I3 is provided with a door 31 which is hinged at 38 to the wall and is provided with a spring pressed catch 39.

Thus as shown in Figure 1 with the conventional door Illa of the projecting chamber l0 1 moved to open position, and the door 31 also open, considerable room for the hand is provided for retracting the movable arm 35 and refusing the device.

To facilitate the fusing or ignition of the fuse when a film catches fire, a flame deflecting wall or web 40 is provided preferably integral with the top wall I! of the housing. Thus when the flames reach the loop l5 of the film, and rise into the left hand portion of the member l3, as viewed in Figure 3 and tend to spread out along the wall 11, the depending fire wall 40 will tend to direct the flames downwardly toward the fuse to facilitate the fusing or ignition of the same. This wall quickens the action of the mechanism and causes the blade to move across the opening l3a to close the same and sever the film before the progress of the flames has passed upwardly through said opening.

An additional fire wall 4| is provided which extends transversely between the longitudinal flange IT. This wall is provided to prevent the flame from flashing across from the burning loop l5 and igniting the film adjacent the film opening l3a, and thus permitting the flame to escape beyond the fire guard before the blade has been released. To further obstruct the progress of the flames of a burning film from passing through the slot [3a a pair of rollers 42 are provided between which the film passes. These rollers are mounted on shafts 43 which are secured in the bosses 44 cast integrally with the flanges l1. Thus as viewed in Figure 3, the left hand roller 42 will be seen as being located rather close to the lower edge of the wall 4|, and thus will deter the passage of the flame around the lower edge of the wall.

The flame in rising along the film toward the film opening will be retarded slightly by the two rollers 42, and will thus provide another instant of time for the fuse 36 to give way and the blade to function.

The lower fire guard I6 is provided with an upstanding tube 45 which is secured to the cover plate 46. A blade similar to blade 20 is also 1,999,022 provided and is operated by a similar pinion and spindle and shaft mechanism. A stationary arm 41 similar to the arm 34 and a swinging arm 48 similar to the arm 35 are also provided and need not be further described. l v The lower guard also preferably is provided with a guide roller 49 mounted on a shaft 50 which is'secured at its ends in studs 5|.

Beneath the film slot l6a. two additional guide rollers 52 are provided to prevent the film from striking the edge of the slot and becoming a film opening therethrough, a spring actuated blade in said housing adapted to move acrosssaid opening to close the sameand sever thefilm, said blade having a longitudinal; slot therein provided with a rack on one side thereof, a segmental pinion in said slot having: teeth engaging said rack, the untoothed portion of said pinion being arranged to engage the end walls of said slot to limit the movement of said blade in both directions of movement thereof and a spindle opera tively connected with said pinion and provided with a manually operable fuse engaging arm for effecting the retraction of said blade.

2. A fire guard comprising a housing having top wall provided with a film opening therea film opening therethrough, a spring actuated blade in said housing adapted to move across said opening to close the same and sever the film, said blade having a longitudinal slot therein provided with a rack on one side thereof, a segmental pinionin said slot having teeth engaging said rack, the untoothed periphery of said pinion being arranged to engage an end wall of said slot to limit the movement of said blade under the action of said spring, and a manually operable spindle having a fuse arm for rotating said pinion to retract said blade.

tudinal slot therein provided with a rack in one wall thereof, a pinion in' said slot having a shaft journaled at its upper end in said cover and at its lower end in said housing, a spindle detachably connected with said shaft for turning said pinion to retract said blade, and a manually operable.

arm on said spindle adapted to engage one end of a fuse for holding said blade in retracted posle tion.

4. A fire guardcomprising a housing havinga film opening therethrough, a slidable spring actuated blade in said housing adapted to move across said opening to close the same and sever the film, manually actuatable means operably connected with said blade for retracting the same against the action of the spring, said means comprising an arm for engaging a. fuse for retaining said blade in retracted position, and a flame defleeting wallfor directing flame from a burning film toward said fuse."

5. A fire guard comprising a housing provided with a film passage therethrough, a spring actuated blade movable across said opening to close the same and severthe film, said housing having a top wall and depending side walls, fuse restrained mechanism depending from said top wall and operatively connected with said blade for holding the same in retracted position, a fire wall extending transversely of said housing between opposite side walls thereof and'located between said film opening and said fuse mechanism for ing film along said top wall to the film adjacent the film opening, and a fiame deflecting wall adjacent said fuse mechanism for directing flame toward the fuse. I 6. 'A'fire guard comprising a housing having a through intermediate the ends thereof, a spring actuated blade movable across said opening to close the same and sever the film, a fuse restrained mechanism depending from said housing at one side of said opening and being operatively connected with said blade for holdingthe same in retracted position, a depending fire wall located between said mechanism and said opening to prevent the passage of the flame from burning film laterally along said top wall to the film adjacent the film opening, a pair of rollers between which the film passes located adjacent the lower edge of said housing to retard the vertical passage of flame toward said film opening, and a flame deflecting wall adjacent said mechanism.

for directing flame toward the fuse carried by said mechanism to effect the release of said blade.

- GEORGE B. REAY.

30 Y preventing the passage of the flame of a burn- 

